Apparatus for making vinegar



(No Model.)

J. CUSHING.

APPARATUS POR MAKING VINEGAR,

Patented Nov. 8, 1881.

Ziyi www N. PEIER.;4 Flwm-Lixhngraphu, washingtan. l1 CY UNITED STATES t PATENT QEEICEim JAMES CUSHINGNOF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

APPARATUS FORMAKING VINEGAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part `of Letters Patent No. 249,161, dated November 8, 1881,

i Application tiled December21,1880. (o model.) 1

ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

and `to the letters of reference marked thereon.

`In the use of vinegar-generating apparatus ithas been found that a long or tall generator possesses great advantages over a shorter one,

principally for the reason thatin its passage from top to bottom the liquid to be acetifled is longer` exposed to the action of the air, and` consequently stronger vinegar is made in less time 5 `but a number of difficulties are encountered in using a tall generator. First, in all those generators now in use some portions ot the vessel are narrower than others, and in these narrow parts the porous mass,.usually1com` posed of shavin gs or corn-cobs, becomes tightly packed in `andwedged together, so that the liquid cannot easily percolate through it, or perhaps `will pass through it in `large streams, and so would not be sufficiently exposed to the atmosphere; second, the motherf7 which always accumulates in the generator, forms around" the individual pieces" of the porous mass, and so. renders it impervious to the is impossible to distribute the liquid equally,

so that all may be properly exposed to theair. This has been attempted by passing itthrou gh sieves, but the motherl will accumulate and stoplnp the holes, and besides the liquid will still'fall `in drops or streams, instead of in a :fine spray, as is most desirable. Again, the

attempt has beenmade to flood the entiremass tributers, by means of which the liquid isdis: tributed equally over the porous mass; third,

in the arrangement of tubes by which air is admitted to the liquid; and, finally, in the novel arrangement and combination of all these various parts, as will be more fully hereinafter explained. l

`In the annexed drawings, Figure l is aseo-` tional view of the generator; Fig. 2,.a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a View of one of the plugs, with its distributer; Fig. 4,v of one of the cups 5 Fig. 5, a top View of one ofthe slats e; Fig. 6, a bottom view of one of the slats e Fig. 7, a plan view of one of one of' the parti tions, showing the arrangement of slats c therein and Fig. 8, a view of the fastening for the hoops. y

rllhe generator shown is divided into only three sections by the partitions, but in practice alarger number is usually required. Sometimes the rooms in which these generators are.

placed are not very high, and theV generator may not be more than ten feet long, andonly one setof straightstaves used, runningthe entire length, with a partition inthe middle, and sometimes of only one partition and two `sections.

which it is set up; but I prefer to make `them about thirty-two or thirty-three feet high and in five or six detachable sections.

i A B C are the three sections ofthe generator, each having the same diameter, and being The generator may be made ot'any` llengthto accommodate itself to the roomin.

about six feet in height. The staves of` which they are formed are straight and beveled at the edges, so as to form the curve of the cask. The ends of the casks are cut in inthe manner shown, so that each one is set intothe next below" and there held firmly, so that the whole forms one continuous vessel. From top to bottom of this tank runs y the small wooden tube D, pierced with holes throughout its .entire length, by means of which air is admitted to the liquid. The sides of the tank also contain holes for the same purpose. y l

E E are partitions placed across the tank at the points where the sections are joined. These partitions vare composed of slats c e, Src., Fig. 5, passing `across `the tank, their ends. being `held in lon gitudinal grooves out in the inside. `These slats are boards about 'six inches` in width and `varying in length, that of the longy est beingequal to the diameter of the Cask,

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and the githers decreasing as they approach the sides. These boards have square notches out in their sides, about two inches apart, which notches also extend entirely across the bottom of the board, while the top remains smooth. The upper section, A, is filled up to about half its height with a mass of shavings, corn-cobs, (itc. The middle sections, as B, are entirely filled with these substances. The lowest section, C, is divided by a vsecondary partition, b, and has its upper halt' filled with the porous mass, while the lower part is formed into a receiver, H, in which the vinegar accumulates until drawn olil by the faucet c. The whole is supported on suitable standards.

The head of the tank is pierced with a num ber of small holes. The proper number for one of the size shownis eighteen.

In the head of the generator, at different points, are set six cups, d d, Sto., as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. These cups are about three inches wide at the bottom, and decrease to about two inches at the top. They are made simply of a block of wood hollowed out on top and having a projection on the bottom, by means of which they may be fastened to the head of the tank. In the upper rim of the cup are cut three notches, f f f, which are continued down the side of the cup untilleach connects with a groove, h, cut'in the head of the tank, and extending from the notch j" to one of the eighteen holes above mentioned. In each of these holes is inserted a plug, fi, of the shape shown in Fig. 3, having a hole, k, passing through it longitudinally, and a larger hole, l, at right angles to the hole k, and passing from it to the outside ofthe plug. The plug is inserted in one of the eighteen holes, and is driven in until the hole Z is level with the head of the tank and opposite the end of one of the grooves h.

m m are cords fastened to the bottom of the plug and supporting the distributer u, which is a solid block of wood, preferably of cylindrical form and slightly concave on top. This distributer may be made of any hard substance suitable for the purpose, such as earthenware;

but I prefer to makeit of wood, as itis cheaper, more readily made, and always easily obtained. When I desire to feed faster I lengthen the cords m m, alluded to above 5 then if theliquid runs into and off from the end of plug i in a stream it will break up into drops before it strikes the distributer, provided it falls a sut'- tlcient distance. The best spray is found when the liquid strikes the distributer in drops.

For holding together the staves of which the tank is composed, it is necessary to use heavy wooden hoops about three inches wide by two inches thick. -For securing the ends of these hoops I employ the fastening shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the hoop enterthe iron clasps o o, to which they are bolted at 1J p. Each of these clasps has two ears or projections,1n r, through which pass the screwthreaded bolts s s, provided with nuts by -tend through the entire length of the plug is that when the mother accumulatesin the lower partit may be easily removed. The liquid drops from the pointed end of the plug t' to the top of the distributern, and thedrops, striking its surface with considerable force, are broken up and converted into a fine spray orv mist, which falls on the porous mass below. There being so large a number of the distributors,

they are but a short distance apart, and con-l sequently the liquid is distributed vin infinitesimal particles equally over the surface of the porous mass, and soaks through it gradually instead of ruiming in streams, while allthe particles are equally exposed to oxidation. The liquid thus reaches the partition E and passes between the slats into the next section. The grooves and notches in the slats prevent the liquid from running along the edges and accumulating in large drops, and cause it to fall from the numerous projections to the mass below in the same small particles as before. The liquid thus continues in-its descent, passing through one partition after another, until it finally reaches the receiver H and is drawn off through the faucet c.

Should the passage of the air through the tubeD result in lowering the temperature too much, a plug is inserted in the lower end, and

the current stopped until the interior again becomes sufficiently warm'.

If the mother should accumulate in either ofthe sections to too great an extent, it may be easily detached and cleansed. V

The partitions act also as supporters for the mass above.

What I claim as my invention, is

1. A. vinegar-generator composed of one section or several detachable sections of the same diameter, and having straight sides, and divided, substantially as described, by one or more partitions composed of slats grooved at the edges and on the bottom, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. ln a vinegar-generator, a series of one or more partitions composed of slats grooved at the edges and on the bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a vinegar-generator, the cups d d, having the notchesff, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a vinegarhgcnerator, the combination of the cups d d, having the notchesff, with the grooves h h, substantially as and for the purpose described.

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5. In a vinegar-generator, and in combina-` tion, a series of plugs, t', and distributers n, con

l structed and arranged substantially as ded, grooves h, plugs i, and distributers n, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a vinegar-generator, the combination,`

1 with a'tank having straight sides, of a series of one or more partitions composed of grooved and notched slats, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A vinegar-generator, substantially as described, provided with a central tube, D, 'extending from the top through the bottom thereof, and adapted to distribute the exterior air therein, substantially as set forth.

.10. In a vinegar-makin g apparatus,the combination of the cups d, grooves 71 plugs t', and distributers n, with the straight-sided sections A B C, partitions E E', and recei-ver H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

This specification signed land witnessed this 18th day of November, 1880.

JAMES CUSHING.

Witnesses: p

MONROE M. GABY, J oHN L. BUETTELL. 

